Dump trailer for semitrailer type vehicles



JmL 10 1950 1 F. DE sAUssuRE 2,494,472

DUMP TRAILER FOR SEMITRAILER TYPE VEHICLES Jal1- 10 1950 F. DE sAUssURE 2,494,472

DUMP TRAILER FOR SEMITRAILER TYPE VEHICLES Filed Aug. 12, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 L YX E@ H6. Y Le@ E ajaasfurc Jan. 10, 1950 l.. F. DE sAussuRE DUMP TRAILER FOR SEMITRAILER TYPE VEHICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 12, 1946,

INVENTOR. eo 506500551019 Arme/wxs Jan. l0, 1950 2,494,472

DUMP TRAILER FOR SEMITRAILER TYPE VEHICLES L. F. DE SAUSSURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 12, .194e

E W E. F M` l Wim Jan. 10, 1950 l.. F. DE sAUssURE DUMP TRAILER FOR SEMITRAILER TYPE VEHICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 12, 1946 INVENToR. en /'efaz/sswe M1; @Mdm .operai Patented Jan. 10, 1950 unirsesrArEs rarem- DUMP\TRAILER FOR SEMITRAJLER TYPE'.

' 'VEHICLES ,v

Lear.- Desaussufe, caaanacauf-.- Application Aiignst'lZ, 1946, SerialNo.. 683,853;

ThisY inventionrelates. to. automative vehicles of the semi-trailerftype.

Itis the .principal objectgo myfpljesentgnvention. to provide ari-:improved trailer `structure -fo-r semi-trailer, type ofA automative trucks, the body 5; of which is equipped-with arr-improved form of discharge gates. andY gate operating. mechanism, insuring effectiveopeningfand:closingrofgthe gates under allconditions.

Itis. another-object oimy invention Ato provide an improved dump trailer of thecharacter re.-- ferred towhich..istted-With an improved; gate and gateoperatingmechanism, which operating mechanism-may he` actuatedV from .a remote .point to .eectively v control the.. operationof: the gates. i

It is another objectofvrny. inventionto provide a-v dump trailer of thescharacter, refer-red to in which the body. is ttedfwith ranimproved form of gate mechanism having associatedftherewith an improved latching. and. operating mechanism of 2 0 simple. and .effective construction.

One form which theinventionmayassumeis exemplied; in4 the follcgwing.v description. and.n illustrated by. wayofexample intheaccompanying drawings, in which; 25

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a dump trailer embodying the preferredform of myinvention,

Eig. 2. is a. sideelevation. offthe dump trailer showing itsassociationwith the tractor.

Fig. 3 is. an. enlarged fragmentary View .Y in. end elevation showing the construction ofA the lgate latch mechanism. A

Fig. fr is a tragrnentary.vievvn front-V elevation ofthe. fth wheelmechanisrn, forconnecting the trailer` to the tractor.` 35

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View in longitudinal section through the fth wheel mechanism for connecting the trailentp the tractor.

figs. 6' and 'lare views in endelevationof the dump trailer bodyf-sllowinethe meneer. b fjthe Operten. Qfthe .body gatas aadehowing. the gates in beth 0rzeaedar1-de1gsed.gestione.

amesed. ferm @creatina eine bo Fie. 12 isa-.aerea eea-elevati@ A @f1 the treilerbedrfslwwne a. furthe? @naines form-.0f sweetie-W1 Eig. 13.s..a.fragnfi andimpmvedfvfrdumntralgr 512.;

This vehicle. isgdes jlalifriedin my ro-pending appli atQllf ent-filed.' vAlitOmQtiv truck ci semietrailentvpa" flfld-:Auelltf 1.2.;- 1.94.6.; Eier-iaiY Numberg, V Y The dump trailer I2 comprisesaymain.frange .lfwhich is. disposed nfallbzjantally hqriz iiftal plane y and extends-Y. leilatudinally 'Qi-the; trailer. Snspended from Ithis rnIain frameJAlbntf integral. ly .connected .therewith isatlie trailer.y .bed ir-body l5, the endszof which, hervever,V terminateshort o fftheends of theffram 'I4,as illus rated. The ferwardend 0f theLmainframe-l4in@ nesldowafl vgardlylgat. a slight angle'. topiovide amounting for a, fifthv wheelmechanism. l5., hyQmfeansfo'f which the trailer. [ZA Inay be. connected to the tractor i.l.i1.. =.-Q1.Y.1.1ti9nal semi-trai1.erfashiqn Theonstructiqh Quite f4.9@ w .Sa-v thatipnawt aldetaehahleswivel connection between. the. fiirwad. terminali. of. the frame 1.41. and the 'tractor H..

The.. trailery l2. .Provided with. a Sub-frame '51a the forward' termi lef. 'which .prgefztsfgr wardly and is joined with the main frame 174k, illustrated inthe drawings, 'Rhe rearlterminal of the Slibfffam'e'lgeten-dsi'ee1twardlv .aridfis risidlvennefztedwih thefreertermmelof. the. .m namen."

The Ibody l5comp1ises downwardly extending and slightly inwardly converging M side walls |11 The bottoni edgesoff'tlie'sidewlls lie'nA the ysarde transverse planearld ar'evverticallyiclined longiff tudinau'y with respect t'p tnia'ih 'fraaie M". "The bottom'rs'ide edges of the sidewalls linclnt'e downwardly and-forwardl-y-so that the trailer bed l5 hasV a greater depth atpits forward'` end than atits rearmost end. This, aswill bedescribed,` is Vfor theA loadV distribution puposes.v

At, opposite,` endsi thefside. walls Hof the` body l5 are rigidly joined by vertical end. plates. L8',

which; likewise-converge inwardly.siiehtlrlsathat material contained within the body I5 will discharge freely downwardly through the bottom of the body I5 when the bottom of the same is open.

Fitting the open bottom of the body I5 and complementary thereto are two similar closure gates I9. These gates I9 are complementary and when in closed position form a complete closure for the bottom of the body I5. When the gates I9 are in closed position, their upper surfaces are slightly oppositely inclined to the horizontal with their meeting edges lowermost and disposed along the longitudinal center line of the body I5. The gates I9 are operative in order that they may be positioned to form a closure for the bottom of the body I5 or moved to an open or unobstructing position so that the material contained within the body I5 may discharge through the open bottom of the body I5.

Disposed rearwardly of the body I5 and underlying the rear terminal of the main frame I4 is an inverted U-shaped wheel-carrying carriage 22. At the opposite sides of the carriage 22 and exteriorly of each leg thereof are transversely aligned wheels 2l connected by stub axles 20 to the legs of the carriage 22. The top of the carriage 22 extends forwardly with respect to the trailer and is nivotally connected at opposite sides to bracrets 2d xefi to the sub-frame I5a by aligned pivot pins 23 forming a pivotal connection between the carriage 22 and the sub-frame I5a which enables the carriage 22 to oscillate in a vertical plane. The pivotal axis of the carriage 22 is parallel to the axes of the wheels 2| and disposed both forwardly and above the same, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

At the rearmost end of the carriage 22 are coil-type, load-sustaining springs 25 which are vertically aligned with the wheel axes and interposed between the underside of the main frame I4 and the ton of the carriage 22. These springs 25 are, of course, as illustrated in Fig. 8, located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the vcarriage 22 and main frame I4. Centrally between the springs 25 in transverse alignment therewith, the frame I4 is provided with a socket 2B in which i5 disposed a snubbing coil spring 21. A pintle 28 is fastened to the carriage 22, projects through the spring 2l' and is collared thereabove by a collar 28a so as to eifect snubbing of the reaction of the springs 25.

For the purpose of stiiening the body I5 and preventing bulging or other misalignment of the sides I8 thereof, I provide two stiffening partitions 29 which extend transversely between the side walls and are secured thereto as illustrated in Fig. 1. The contour of these partitions at their bottom conforms to the bottom of the end plates I8, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Thus, it is seen that I have provided a trailer having a longitudinal, rigid frame structure deilning its upper boundary and suspended from which frame structure is a dump-type carrying body, the ends of which extend short of the Iorward and rear ends of the frame structure, and which is so contoured that a load carried in the body will be substantially equally distributed at both ends thereof so that the rear wheels 2| of the trailer suspended below the rearmost terminal of the body I5 and the rear wheels of the tractor, which will be arranged rearwardly of the fifth wheel connection I6 between the trailer and tractor, will substantially equally bear the load of the trailer.

By this construction, the center of gravity of the trailer will be extremely low while still providing ample clearance lor dumping purposes, as will be described.

To discharge or dump the load of the trailer, the gates I9 are pivotally suspended from the trailer body in a novel and eilcient manner so that the weight of the material within the body I5 will act to move the gates I9 to open position. Also, this pivotal suspension of the gates causes the gates, after the load has been discharged and the thrust of the load is removed therefrom, to tend to return automatically to closed position through force of gravity.

The pivotal suspension of each gate I9 is identical and, therefore, but one thereof will be described Reference being had to Figs. 3, 6 and 7, it will be seen that at the end of each gate it is pivotally connected to a gate suspension lever 3i) which is pivoted at its upper end to the end plate I8 of the body I5. The pivotal connection between the lower end of the suspension lever 30 and the gate I9 is midway between the sides of the gate, and its axis is parallel to the longitudinal center of the body I5. A secondary suspension lever 32 is also provided at each gate end, which lever 32 is pivoted at its upper end as at 33 to the end plate I8 of the body or bed I5, and at its lower end it is pivoted to the end of the gate adjacent the exterior marginal edge thereof. The pivotal axes of the levers 30 and 32 are, of course, in parallelism.

The pivotal connection between the link or lever 32 and the gate I8 is accomplished by means of a longitudinal latch shaft 34 rotatably carried by the gate I 9. Secured on this shaft 34 at each end thereof is a latch lever 35 in the form of a modied bell crank. One end of this latch lever 35 has a keeper 36 to cooperate with a keeper lug 3l xed to the end plate I8 of the body I5. The opposite end of the lever 35 is pivotally connected as at 38 to the piston rod 39 of a piston Il@ of an air or vacuum cylinder 4I. Projecting from this latter end of the lever 35 is a latching dog 42 to cooperate with a hinged latch member 43 mounted on the adjacent side Il of the body When the gate I9 is in closed position, the keeper 36 engages the keeper lug 3l and latches the gate I9 in such position. At this time it will be seen from Fig. 6 that the gate suspension lever 30 is in almost a truly perpendicular position. The inclination of the inner face of the gate is such that the pressure of the load thereon will tend to swing the gate outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 7 in order that the load may discharge. The gate is, of course, latched against this outward movement by the engagement of the keeper 36 with the keeper lug 3l.

To elTect unlatching of the gate I9 is the function of the piston 40 and its piston rod 39. The cylinders 4I are connected through suitable conduit to a control valve 44 on the trailer assoicated with a pressure accumulator or vacuum tank 45 also on the trailer. The valve 44 is operatively connected to a remote point accessible to the driver of the tractor II so that when the driver desires to dump the load in the trailer body I5, hel manipulates the control, operates the valve 44 which injects air under pressure or creates a vacuum in the proper end of the cylinder 4I, moving the piston 40 toward the opposite end of the cylinder 4l. This movement of course disengages the keeper 3,6 from the keeper lug 3l and causes the .gatesy I9 to swing the same outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1.

' lum about the pivotal connection fbetween the .assegna 55 ;.Should'itherwelghtnnfthe loadrgbeninsililicient .f tc: operate the :gates:` :I9 by :swinging them-*lloran i..outward position,.'thez action: of. the dorcenexerted '-.on :thenpiston-1.4@v will; cause: theilatterthrongh the piston rod 39 and the bell cranklever 3=5fto `swing lfthegate I9 to-open position,=.aseisl clearly illus- ...trated in the drawings.

When the 'gate-reacheswidegiopen position, the latch lug 42 will passl by the'latch meinber=43 due to the fact that the lattermaygpivot upwardly,-

.and when .wide .open positionfis reached the latch .lug 42may engage the atop :Side-of the latch :memrber 43 andveffect latchingzof ztheigate; I Q'finnopen position. This -latching is sufficient tonovercome the tendency of Athe .force of lgravity to swing 'thegate -toqclosedv position andgithus' maintain :it in .fopen position until A:the "load :has ybeen'.completely discharged.

When desiring to close .thegates' AI 9.,:the'opera- .".tion of the'valve 44=isreversed sto :move thexpiston :Mlinthe opposite direction, .forcing the piston rod 1 39rdownwardly.

In that lthe upperendof tthe cylinder-'41.isz-piviotally connectedto the frame "I 4'of the body'when 'the piston tendsto fmovein; azdownward direction',

the engagement of `the latch lug .542 with the latch member 43 will cause the lower end of ithe :cylinder 4I to springoutwardly .from zthe body I5 *sufficiently to enable the-"latch lug 4:2 tobecome .out of register with .the:latch:memberY431so that the gate Iiismayswing backttoclosed position.

From the drawings :it is .obvious that thegate I9, as soon as theelatchi-lug :42 .disengages' from the ylatch member 43, Vwillrtend to swing a-s a .pendususpensionjleverlifly andflthe body I5 to closed position. In this position, the lever will assume a truly `verticalposition,while the gate I9 .will assume .a closed position; beingfpi-voted'about the lower end of the lever 30 -by lthe :connection between the lever 32 and the bodyand the gate.

This closing action 4is augmented by the downward action of the piston @Wunder the iniluence of `air pressureat the correct side thereof. :It'is'iob- =vious thatieither air under. pressure or vacuum 'f may be employed to actuate the .pistons 40. :Both of these methods of:actuating'iaxpiston 4in road vehicles of Ythe characterfhereindisclosed is conventional and, therefore, need not be described in l* detail.

Stop members 46a, on the gates I9 limit the swinging or pivotal movement of the latch levers in both directions for obvious reasons.

I desire to point out that if considered necessary or desirable, the lower terminal of the rear plate I8 of the body I5 may have a hinged lower section 41, as illustrated in Fig. 9. The hinge is indicated by the numeral 46 and it extends transversely of the body I5 as shown. The hinge 46 is such that the pivotal section 41 of the end plate I8 may swing rearwardly and upwardly so as to pass over any material which has previously been dumped from the body.

To maintain this section 41 of the rear plate I8 in proper closed position relative to the end.r plate I8 when the gates are closed, I provide a pair of complementary cam plates 48 and 49, the one 48 being on the hinge section 4l and the one 49 being on the adjacent gate suspension lever 30. When the gates IB are swung to open position, as illustrated in Fig. '7, the cam 49 disengages from the cam 48 allowing pivotal movement of the section 4l. However, when the gates I9 are swung to closed position, the cams 49 engage the cams 48,

'6 as .illustrated :fin :Fig'f 9 l"moving .and maintaining y:theihinge .section 4l1zsofxthe Iendzplate .I 8 closed ffposition.

:.fIn.'.-Figs.i.11,1.-12 and 13 .I .have shown modified 'lorms .ofrapparatusrtorfoperate. the gates by air 4pressure or byvacuum. y'Sin'. all :three ofthe forms ashown in: Figs.. '111 to 113, inclusive, 'the .gates I9 `fare suspended, :asizpreviouslyLdescribed, by means .ofntherlevers -Beandil However, .in the form shown in Eig. 11,'.af.isingle. cylinderflllat is pro- .fyided,fthe `piston rod'l39aof V'which is connected through :link-.mechanism 5B directly tothe upper endsfof .the 'levers'zrso that :reciprocation of the fp'istonilllla in :the Acylinder 4ta will .cause swing- '.ing.=movement vof therlevers-S in opening and lclosing:directions lobviously, as illustrated in '-Elig; 11,1fwhenthe :llinkv mechanism 5c is moved -past vdead center, ai'flatc'hingelect will be created @to 4l'atch-'tlfie gates infopen position, necessitating `'the'applicationfof tor-ce on the piston r'455er to-move the linkagekfrom past `.dead center to Athe .point fwherethe' iorce'vofgravity will assistwthe operation of v'the-'pistonffl'IIla in 'swing-ing the gates .to icl'losed position.

-Asomewhatlsimilarmechanism is illustrated in ii'iglV 12=w`ith 'the-=exception that the link mecha- AVLnism lis'oi a slightly different character. The op- =eration, however, Loil-'the device shown in Fig. l2 'is obvious Ifrom theffdrawings.

l InlFig. `1J3-one end-of the `cylinder is connected .toa bel-l crank latch-member 5I and the piston rod 39bis similarly 'connected toY a similar bell crank `latch lever `52. HThe''latch-levers 5I and 52 have keepersv 53 Vto-engage keeper lugs54 on the end 35 plate It of thefbody. When the piston 49h is vcaused to move-inthe ycylinder 4th-in a direction tendingto enlarge`-the distance between the connection offthecylindereand the lever 5I and the piston rod '39h and'fthe lever 52, the levers will beoppositely'swungv to '-'dsengage `from the 'latch '-lugs-54' and the' 'levers 3D will be oppositely and `outwardlyswung asindicated in dotted lines to move the .gates I9' to open position. On reverse movement ofthe piston 4Gb under kthe .influence of either air pressure or vacuum in the cylinder 4th, the levers @will be swung toward each other vto swing -thegates vI9 to closed position and to .swing theflatch levers 52 inadirection re-engag- Ving the lugs"54 to. latch thegates vin closed position.

It is seen that in that the top of the trailer is parallel to the ground there will be no obstruction to loading. The low height of the trailer likewise will be of aid to loading.

It is also apparent that in spite of the low center of gravity of the trailer when loaded there will be sutcient clearance when moving the trailer from a dumped load.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim vand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle of the character described, a body having sides and ends, a pair of complemental gates to form a closure for the bottom of the body, a pair of aligned pendulum levers for each gate, said levers being connected at their lower ends to the gates substantially midway between 'the sides of the gates, said levers being connected at their upper ends to the body at a point substantially vertically overlying the pivotal points of connection of their lower ends with the gates when the gates are in closed position, a pair of aligned link levers for each gate pivoted at their lower ends to the gate adjacent the outer side thereof and at their upper ends to the body above the gate and inwardly oi the body relative to their pivotal point of connection with the gate, the pivotal axes of said link levers and said pendulum levers being in parallelism.

2. In a vehicle of the character described, a body having sides and ends, a pair of complemental gates to form a closure for the bottom of the body, a pair of aligned pendulum levers for each gate, said levers being connected at their lower ends to the gates substantially midway between the sides of the gates, said levers being connected at their upper ends to the body at a point substantially vertically overlying the pivotal points of connection of their lower ends with the gates when the gates are in closed position, a pair or" aligned link levers for each gate pivoted at their lower ends to the gater adiacent the outer side thereof and at their upper ends to the body above the gate and inwardly of the body relative to their pivotal point of connection with the gate, the pivotal axes of said link levers and said pendulum levers being in parallelism, latch means for latching said gates in closed position, actuating means for actuating the latch means and for urging said gates to open and closed position, said actuating means including cylinders having double-acting pistons therein operatively connected to the latch means and to the gates.

3. In a dump truck or the like adapted to receive and retain a load and to dump the same, comprising side and end walls defining a body portion, and a bottom portion comprising two parallel gates suspended from the body portion and adapted to swing from a closed position supporting the load to an open position to dump the load, the improvement which comprises a pendulum support for each gate, each said pendulum support comprising a lever pivoted at its upper end to the body portion and at its lower end to the gate and so positioned with respect to said gate that the weight thereof when in open position urges the gate to closed position, and such that when in closed position the weight oi a load urges the gate to open position.

4. VThe structure of claim 3, including a hinged connection of the outer edge of each gate to the body portion, comprising a link lever pivoted at one end to said body portion and at the opposite end to said gate.

5. The structure of claim 3, including auxiliary means for opening and closing the gates, comprising means operable by fluid pressure and operatively connected to said gates to swing the same from open to closed position and vice versa. 6. The structure of claim 5, wherein said auxiliary means comprises a pair of cylinders disposed on opposite sides of the body portion and each provided with a double acting piston and a piston rod, and each said gate is provided with a lever operatively connecting the gate with one of said piston rods, whereby reciprocating motion of said piston and piston rod actuates said lever to open and close said gate.

7. The structure of claim 5, wherein said auxiliary means comprises a cylinder provided with a double acting piston and a piston rod operatively connected to said pendulum supports, whereby movement of said piston and piston rod under iiuid pressure augments the gravitational forces normally tending to open and close the gates.

8. The structure of claim 5, wherein said auxiliary means comprises a cylinder disposed transversely of and between said pendulum sup ports, and said cylinder is pivotally connected at one end to one of said supports and is provided with a double acting piston and a piston rod, the latter being pivotally connected to the other of said supports.

LEO F. DE SAUSSURE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

